Archivist to Train Afghan Military

Author: Daniel Phillips

Poised for their move into the new library, workers in the special collections department at Egbert Starr Library have their work cut out for them in collectively dealing with the start of a new semester while compensating for an entire staff reduction by one-third. Meanwhile, Middlebury College Archivist Mike Knapp has been alternating his mornings between a two-mile run and a three-mile rucksack march at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Co., where, during the next five weeks, he will be going through a generic validation of paperwork, briefings and firearms marksmanship before his deployment into the mountains of Afghanistan.

Knapp is a noncommissioned officer (NCO) in the Task Force Mountain battalion of the National Guard, based in Jericho, Vt. He has served for the past eight years as a retention officer, working with people nearing the end of their time in the guard and encouraging them to stay enlisted. Normally his commitment to the National Guard mandates one weekend every month and two weeks of the year for further training or something specific. As a retentions officer, Knapp's attendance was also compulsory at executive meetings before each weekend of service, and it was from one of those meetings that a list emerged in early August with Knapp's name printed as an NCO qualified to train the officer corps of Afghanistan's military. This left his family just over a month to be "mentally ready and logistically ready for him to go," remarked Amy Knapp, his wife and coordinator of Cook Commons at the College.

Knapp's role in Task Force Mountain, which consists of 50 other Vermonters, will be as an "embedded" communications officer, working with a senior Afghan NCO by means of an interpreter. He will be assisting the Afghan communications company with the setup of a radio range across the mountaintops. The military in Afghanistan is new- so part of Knapp's mission will be to train the Afghan national army brigade in an effort to rebuild the infrastructure of their government. The ultimate model being worked for, explained Knapp, is a military force that answers to a centralized civilian government and responds to the people and community that are there, like in the United States. For years, the Afghan army has operated under an old Soviet model, in which soldiers took orders from warlords that were there- if you did not follow them, you were shot.

Clearly Afghan is still a dangerous place. According to Knapp, Task Force Mountain will be armed "everywhere they go, except the shower, literally." Although theirs is not a direct combat mission, Afghanistan is considered a combat zone. "Clearly one would be foolish not to be nervous and apprehensive," claimed Knapp. "Part of it is uncertainty and a fear of the unknown."

On a given day, Knapp will perform physical training in the morning with the Afghans. Following his "embedded" military training during the day, Knapp and the other U.S. officers will then meet to discuss the day's progress. However, instead of the routine six-month rotation, Task Force Mountain will remain in Afghanistan until the presidential election next June. Constitutional elections are set for this November, so Task Force Mountain will be in place to see the nation through this vital governmental transition.

"It's a little bit different than working in the archives," Knapp admitted. Returning at a time when his office will be relocated to the new library, Knapp had to cram almost two years worth of work in the special collections department in about two weeks, while also finalizing his plans for the move. "We're still working out what we're going to do to get additional help," said Andy Wentink, work group leader of special collections. Wentink described how the department developed an effective team in a short time while Danielle Rougeau, special collections assistant and third department member, nodded with approval. "We're going through a lot of transitioning in our department," said Rougeau. The three have collaborated in setting up a system of refilling records from programs by working together with the staff of the departments in deciding what materials are archival so as to create a fine management system. The plan will go out under Knapp's name, for it was a big accomplishment to finish it before he left.

"What's left is physical movement and processing," added Rougeau. His colleagues in special collections describe him as "uplifting and full of fun," and are not envious of his deployment, but are proud to be helping out with Knapp's work in the archives: "It's our job," Wentink commented.

Knapp himself is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), but chose not to take his commission when school was over. His position in the National Guard, however, waived his service requirement due to the amount of people in his field. Fresh out of VMI, Knapp and his wife moved to the Washington D.C. area, but could not afford for him to join the Guard due to a substantial pay cut. "It was more difficult to commit to that," explained Knapp's wife, Amy. It was not until he took a position here at the College eight years ago that "the situation was better- he took advantage of that," said Mrs. Knapp.

News of Knapp's deployment was first announced to the College community during the senior faculty meeting during the start of the academic year. Knapp finished work at the College on Thursday Sept. 18, and was at Fort Johnson in Burlington the following day undergoing equipment preparation. Before embarking for Fort Carson last Wednesday Sept. 24, Task Force Mountain "threw a much pomp and ceremony," as Mrs. Knapp put it, noting the attendance of Gov. Douglas and the General of the Vermont National Guard. Colorado Springs will help the officers become acclimated to the higher altitude. They are planning to fly to Afghanistan on Nov. 24.

Knapp's family never expected him to get called into a military hotspot as part of the National Guard. After the events of Sept. 11, 2001, many officers in Knapp's position were assigned to the increased Canadian border control or the tightened Burlington airport security.

They were expecting something tamer in Vermont such as flood relief, but Mrs. Knapp pointed out that Knapp refused to self-inflict a broken leg or such an inhibiting physical condition to negate his service. Her only concern is that "he's a worrier," and if he were not leaving daughters Ellen, eight, and Emma, seven, "he would be fine." Mrs. Knapp explained her reaction to her husband's deployment as first being sad and upset, but then she pulled it together and got practical.

She had to tend to jobs around the house she would not plan for with him around. She described it as "a serious rollercoaster ride of emotions and reality." Mrs. Knapp noted how the College community has been particularly great about offering their help, support and kindness. "It's been a nice thing to see that."

She is particularly thankful for working in such an interactive office, because going home to a quiet house will now be OK. And in a touching display of affection, Mrs. Knapp revealed that even her own daughters plan to fill their mother's marital void by serving her breakfast in bed on their anniversary.